Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor James Palmer, has vowed to support a bid to run longer carriage trains between Cambridge, Ely and King's Lynn.

The Great Northern service, connecting London and King's Lynn, is extremely popular with commuters as it includes stops at Littleport, Ely, Waterbeach, Cambridge and Cambridge North.

“It's akin to the tube at rush hour, far more people standing than sitting, and far too few carriages for the amount of people that need the train," Mr Palmer explained.

"It's regular for me to get on at Ely and stand all the way to London and sometimes on the way home as well, the service is definitely very popular and at least eight carriages."

Mayor James Palmer shortly after being elected

The current infrastructure on the line limits the service to a four-car train between Cambridge and King's Lynn, meaning it is often overcrowded during peak commuting times.

Network Rail has recognised the need to increase capacity along this stretch of the route and has been working on a scheme called the King's Lynn Service Enhancement Project which will allow eight-car trains to operate between Cambridge and King's Lynn at peak times.

The planned scheme includes extending platforms at Littleport and Waterbeach, as well as involving sidings work at King's Lynn to accommodate eight-car trains.

Mr Palmer continued: "I think eight carriages is a start, I think 12 is nearer to what is necessary, but we're working very hard to make sure we get eight carriages by the end of this year. We're hopeful it will happen, but we will continue to put on the pressure to make sure that it happens."

The Department for Transport (DfT) has authorised Network Rail to allow contractor Volker Fitzpatrick to complete a detailed design on the scheme.

This aspect of the project is the fifth stage of an eight-stage framework for delivering new railway infrastructure, known as the GRIP process.

Network Rail said it anticipates that it will be able to submit the design to the DfT for a final investment decision in February 2019.

If the costs and programme are acceptable to Network Rail and the DfT an announcement on the expected delivery date would then be given.

It is hoped that the scheme will be delivered ahead of the proposed programme of improvements to ease the rail bottleneck around Ely.

Ely Railway Station (Image: Richard Patterson)

The Mayor believes the scheme would support the Combined Authority's aim of reducing overcrowding on transport infrastructure, while also helping to better connect people to economic opportunities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Mr Palmer has written to Rail Minister Andrew Jones MP to emphasise his support for the bid, and has asked to meet with him to make further representations for the scheme, as well as to discuss other rail matters affecting Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

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James Palmer, mayor of Cambridgeshire

In his letter, he describes the overcrowding on the service as "unacceptable", and says "a significant number of people get off at Cambridge but rest assured that many also get on at Cambridge to go onwards to Ely and beyond."

He added: "We've got a rail network, it's under utilised at the moment and we need to make sure that the capacity is increased. It's about allowing people to live where they can afford to live and utilising the rail network to its full capacity."